


Comfort Animal

by daisybrien



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Comfort, Dogs, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 08:32:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11642796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisybrien/pseuds/daisybrien
Summary: The new therapy dog helps them both.





	Comfort Animal

Taako’s voice pulls the last dregs of sleep from his mind on the fourth night since the new addition to their household. Magnus rises from his drowsiness heavily and calm, shocked at how unfamiliar the feeling of waking in such a way was to him now since the ordeals he’s been through took to plaguing their dreams. He lifts himself up on his elbows, rubbing crust from the corner of his eyes to take in the view beside him. 

Two bodies press against him; one familiar, leaving him serene with his presence, Taako’s body forms against him like the comfortable fit of an old, worn shoe. The other one, the new addition he had so desperately begged Taako for for months - please Taako, she’ll be good for us, look how well-behaved she is, she’ll keep us calm and I promise to keep her off the furniture - was decidedly thrilling for Magnus. The novelty of the Fantasy Newfoundland by his side still persisted, premature giddiness lighting his face up in a silly grin before concern grips him like a vice.

“Taako,” Magnus says quietly, pushing in closer. Bailey - Taako’s choice of name, after the brandy he’ll be drinking to ‘rid him of the headache this mutt will cause him’ - sits snugly between them, the heavy pant of her breath a steady, warm rhythm, the lazy thump of her tail against Magnus’ thigh a legato metronome beat. Her upper torso was gently eased onto Taako’s chest, overlapping but not overbearing, her tongue lapping at the freckles on his cheeks. Magnus almost wants to smile at the display, tease the elf for his grumbling affection over the hound. But when he sees the way the smile on his face twists sadly, the swollen redness of his eyes against in the low glow of the lamplight, he keeps his clever quips clamped on his heavy tongue.

“’M fine,” Taako mutters, spitting away at the drool covering his chin just enough to feign annoyance without actually pushing the dog’s affection away. It’s a lie, Magnus knows. “Bloody mutt just woke me up from a dream, is all.”

“A nightmare?” Magnus asks. There’s no point dancing around the matter, and with the way Taako huffs his indignant resignation at the question, he knows he hit the nail on the head. He’s a carpenter. That’s his job.

“Was it that bad?” He continues. One hand moves to brush through the curly locks of Bailey’s fur, the new touch making her turn her head towards him in placid curiosity so Magnus can fall in love with her dark, sad eyes for the hundredth time before moving back to work on Taako’s face again. Somewhere along the way to scratch her ear, their hands meet, fingers intertwining. 

“Not even,” Taako practically spits out a laugh. He uses his palm to shove her nose away from his face, letting her head settle on his lap. “I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

“You just love Bailey that much,” Magnus coos, moving to press his face into her thick fur, engulfing himself in the distinct smell of dog. He hears Taako scoff, but catches his manicured hands running through her fur when he resurfaces all the same. 

“Yeah, sure,” Taako snorts. He takes a deep breath. “I just,” he pauses, wiping tears and dog drool from his face. His next words are mumbled under his breath, a reluctant secret barely willing to be let go. “I haven’t cried from a nightmare in so long. I don’t know why it happened now.”

Magnus is quiet, staring as all three of them chew on his words. 

“Y’know it’s okay to cry,” Magnus says finally, as Bailey lifts herself up on her paws. She pads her way to the foot of the bed, curling up but still awake, her eyes alert and watching her fathers in kind and expectant obedience. “We’re allowed that.”

“Psh,” Taako says, lying down. “Softie.”

“Like you’re not soft,” Magnus teases, curling against Taako and pressing raspberries along his shoulder. Taako squeals a laugh in protest, squirming until he’s granted relief.

“No way, Jose,” he mutters in response. “I’m tough as hell.”

“I know,” Magnus sighs. He wraps an arm around Taako’s waist, presses his face into his hair. “You don’t always have to be, though.” He nudges his dog - his big beautiful dog! - with his foot, receiving a deep, half bark in response, followed by a heavy, quiet sigh. His chest swells enough he could almost cry now. “Even if it’s just around me and Bailey.”

He gets another snort in response. “I choose Bailey. The mutt can’t snitch.”


End file.
